Motor vehicle control



Jan. 1, 1946. s. c. FISHER 2,392,086

MOTOR VEHICLE CONTROL Filed Aug. 17. 194s Patented Jan. l, 1946 UNITEDy STATES `PATENT OFFICE Moron vaincus ooN'rltor. Samuel Curtis Fisher, New York Y., y Application Aukuti'l, 1943, sei-iai Nb; 498,961

Y solaires. (ci. 19a-s) 4This invention is a control mechanism forja motor vehicle, having to do with thev foot operated control forthe accelerator and brake, or' accelerator, brake and clutch.

The prior art recognizes that since a car going' 5 30 miles an hour travels at .the rate "of 44 Vfeet a second, evenv a fraction of a. second gained in releasing the accelerator and applying the brake, or

` releasing the accelerator and applying the brake and releasing the clutch, is very important.

However, insofar as I am aware, thegdevic'es' of the prior art require the ioot to make atleast two movements in different directions to slow down or release the accelerator, and another movement in another direction to apply the brake. According to this invention, the accelerator and brake controls are so arranged that a single,'lateral move-'- would avoid'rnany collisions, both with other vehicles and with pedestrians.

The invention will be further described in ecn-- nection with thev accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a `perspective view showing the pedal controls as they would appear on the floor hoard- .Y

of a car.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the con-v trol of this" invention where vacuum operated cylinders release the clutch` and apply the brake.

Fig. 3 is -a diagrammatic view of a modification, wherel a vacuum operated cylinderapplies stop the car, one movement in one direction to the brake while the cluth is released .by the movement of the foot.A` -v Referring now to the drawing, `the accelerator pedal A is pivoted to move on the axis 2 which is approximately perpendicular `to the inclined floor board` 4 ofthe cai'. -The accelerator pedal ment of the foot in one direction releases the ac- 2o is rigidlyrconnected with an am s which@ tum celerator and applies the brake. This single, unidirectional movement is simply aquick'ip 4of Y the right foot from right to left,- vsuch a single, quick, lateral movement in one direction, without the necessity of changingjthe directionjof travel of the operators foot, servingfto release the y accelerator and apply the brake, lor release the accelerator, apply the brake and throw out the clutch. The fact that only one movement of the\ foot is involved, and not two movements, means n substantially vertical plane. and pivoted on an axis approximately perpendicular to the iioor board where the foot pedals are usually mounted. The brake pedal is also positioned'finlsl substantially vertical plane on an axis which is preferably substantially perpendicular to` such floor boards. These pedals are spaced apart, say about' twice the width ofthe operators foot, and the operators foot is between them. When the operator swings his foot to the right, it engages the accelerator pedal and acts to speed up the motor in the usual way. When it is desiredto stop or slow down the car, the foot isfglven a strong, quick, lateral, unidirectional movement to the left, which single movement releasesthe accelis connected to'a rod l controlling the throttle valve in the usual way, the usual tension spring l0 pulling the control back to idling position against the stop il. l

The brake control pedal B is pivoted on an axis l2, which-is approximately perpendicular to the floor boards and is rigidly connected to an operating arm I3 and is pulled by the usual spring Il toward a stop I5. Arm i3 is pivoted at i1 to link i8 pivoted at t9 to one arm 20 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 2i, the other end 22,01.' the bell crank being pivoted at 23 with a lost motion connection to thel control stem 24 of a valve i1- lustr'ated `generally at 25, which is connected to the pipe 26 leading to the intake manifold for supplying. suction. A 'clutch operating cylinder 28 is connected'by pipe 30 to valve 25, and a brake operating cylinder 32 isconnected by pipe 32 to thevalve 25. j-

The two pedals are spaced. apart to accommodate the operators foot, with some leeway, as shown in Fig. i, and a curved plate 34 may be positionedas shown, on which the driver rests yhis heel. The drivers right foot is between the two pedals A and B, and it is evident that a quick,

lateral, unidirectional movement from right v to left will release the accelerator pedal A and instantly engage the pedal B, which operates valve 25, to operate the pistons in the cylinders to erator pedal and applies thev brake [pedal in a apply the brake andrelease the clutch and quickvery-small fraction of`a second.;A Ii'fa'lcar is going 30 miles per hour and f second is saved in applying the brake, the car stops within a distance 22 feet less than if another V2 second were used in ly stop the car. v .1,

The clutch operating'v cylinder 28 in the above description can befo tted and the left foot of the driver can be used to throw out the clutch in applying the brake, andthis 22 feet thereby saved 5t the usual way.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the pedals are arranged substantially as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, pedal B being rigidly connected to a lever 34 in turn connected to a link Il for operating the arm It connected to throw the clutch 3l in and out of operation. Pedal B is also connected through links and levers as in Fig. 2, to simultaneously operate a valve 25' connected by pipe 2|' to the intake manifold and by pipe Il to a brake operating cylinder 32.

With the described arrangement, it will again be evident that a single, quick, lateral, unidirectional movement of the foot from right to left releases the accelerator pedal A and operates pedal B to operate the pistons in the cylinders to apply the brake and release the clutch. In this arrangement also the clutch operating mechanism can be omitted and the clutch thrown out by operating the usual clutch pedal with the left foot, as is customary.

Instead of using vacuum cylinders as a source of power, other power supplying means may be used, such as compressed air, for example.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in some detail, it should be understood'that the invention is not limited to the precise details illustrated, but may be carried out in other ways.

I claim as my invention:

1. Control mechanism for a motor vehicle comprising an accelerator pedal lever provided with means for mounting the lever for movement in a horizontal plane, and adapted to be actuated by a lateral movement'of the driver's foot in a horizontal plane. a brake-control pedal lever provided with means, laterally spaced from said accelerator pedal lever mounting means, for mounting the brake-control lever for movement in a horizontal plane, and adapted to be actuated by a lateral movement of the driver-s toot in a horlzontal plane. said pedals being mounted 'separately on the oor board of. the vehicle with ay space between them for the drivers foot, whereby a singlelateral unidirectional movement ot the drlvers foot in a horizontal plane to right or left releases one pedal and instantly engages the other pedal.

2. Control mechanism for a. motor vehicle comprising an accelerator pedal lever provided with means for mounting the lever for movement in a, horizontal plane and adapted to be actuated by a lateral movement of the driver's foot in a horizontal plane, a brake and clutch-control pedal lever provided with means, laterally spaced from said accelerator pedal lever and its mounting, for mounting the brake and clutch control lever for movement in a horizontal plane and adapted to be actuated by a lateral movement of the drivel-s foot in a horizontal plane, whereby.

the brake is applied and the clutch thrown out simultaneously, said pedals being' mounted separately on the door board oi' the vehicle with a space between them for the driver's foot, whereby a single lateral unidirectional movement o! the driver's foot in a horizontal piane to right or leit releases one pedal and instantly engages the other pedal.

3. Control mechanism for a motor vehicle comprising an accelerator pedal lever, a brake and clutch-control pedal lever provided with means, laterally spaced from said accelerator lever pedal mounting means, for mounting the brake and clutch-control lever for movement in a horizontal plane and adapted to be actuated by a lateral movement of the drlvers foot in a horizontal plane, whereby the brake is applied and the clutch thrown out simultaneously, said pedals being mounted separately on the floor board of the vehicle with a space between them for the drivers foot whereby a single lateral movement of the drivers foot to the right or left in a hori- 49 zontal plane releases one pedal and engages the other.

SAMUEL CURTIS FISHER.. 

